Colombia resumes electricity exports to Ecuador

On August 5, Colombia reinstated electricity exports to Ecuador after a suspension that began on 22 January. The resumption supplies roughly 8.6 GWh per day – about 6‑8 % of Ecuador’s daily demand – and will use up to 78 % of the capacity of the bilateral interconnection lines.

The imported power is priced at an average of US $0.33 per kilowatt‑hour, a drop of about 67 % compared with previous transactions. The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, led by Minister Edwin Palma Egea, announced a new mechanism that allows direct export contracts between private electricity companies, a practice not used in the 23‑year history of the bilateral trade.

The suspension was triggered by a commercial dispute over Ecuadorian import tariffs and security concerns linked to cross‑border cocaine trafficking, which escalated into a broader trade conflict. The restart follows assurances that Colombia’s hydro‑reservoir levels remain sufficient despite the El Niño threat. Ecuador’s energy ministry highlighted the import’s role in bolstering the national grid during the upcoming dry season and protecting the water level of the Mazar reservoir that feeds the Paute‑Integral hydro complex.